# Missing 8 year old girl - Tori, missing from Woodstock , Ontario



## Dragonfly (Apr 29, 2009)

I was curious if anyone else is following this bizarre case.

Tomorrow, Victoria "Tori" will be gone 3 weeks. No one knows where she is. The only real evidence is a 15 second footage of Tori walking with a woman who looks similar to her mom, except the mom (5' 9 1/2") is taller than the woman in the video.

Everyday, something new and odd seems to occur.

Last week, the mom, mom's boyfriend and mom's best friend travelled by a limo to Toronto. The mom met with a wealthy individual that remains nameless. The individual offered the mom any amount of money if a ransom were to occur to get Tori back.

This is the first story posted on ctv.ca. If you are interested, there are several other articles posted that offer more details.

CTV Toronto - Ontario girl, 8, missing; person of interest sought - CTV News, Shows and Sports -- Canadian Television

*Ontario girl, 8, missing; person of interest sought*

Updated: Thu Apr. 09 2009 - CTV.ca News Staff

Police in Woodstock, Ont. say they are looking for a person of interest after an eight-year-old girl went missing on Wednesday.

Victoria (Tori) Stafford, a third-grader, was reported missing after she did not return home from Oliver Stephens Public School Wednesday. Police say there is no evidence yet that she was abducted and therefore have not released an Amber Alert.

But police say they have obtained surveillance video from a nearby high school of a person believed to be Tori, CTV's David Imrie said Thursday evening. A girl matching her description was seen walking with someone police are calling "a person of interest".

Police say they are looking for a white woman, aged 19-25, about 120-125 pounds, with a black ponytail and who was wearing black jeans and a white puffy jacket.

The footage was taken Wednesday. The high school is close to the elementary school Tori attends.

Tori is about four foot five inches, 62 pounds and has blue eyes and short blonde hair. She was last seen warning a denim skirt, a green shirt and a black Hannah Montana jacket with a fur-lined hood.

Police started a door-to-door search late Wednesday. They began an ground search at first light Thursday with about 40 officers and canine units.

Flyers of Tori have been plastered all over Woodstock, a city of about 30,000, 125 kilometres southwest of Toronto.


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## Karren (Apr 30, 2009)

That's sad....Hope she's ok!! and the first time I've heard of it....


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## Darla (Apr 30, 2009)

Yes i have been following this quite closely. I have been getting updates on a very regular basis. It does sound so screwed up. My vote is for that mother being in on it.

Wasn't there a theory that the little girl was traded for drug money? Sick!


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## Darla (Apr 30, 2009)

Here is the 8 year old girl







Victoria Stafford, 8, is shown in a family handout photo from July 2008. (Dave Chidley / THE CANADIAN PRESS)






Victoria Stafford's mother, Tara McDonald, speaks to reporters about the latest developments in the case, on Thursday April 17, 2009. (Dave Chidley / THE CANADIAN PRESS)


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## Dragonfly (Apr 30, 2009)

Ya know, that was the very first rumour to go around. But the mom came out and denied any involvement with drugs.

Unfortunately, both she and her boyfriend are well known in the drug community - so who knows...

Personally, I think the mom is involved and knows where her daughter is.

And I think she is the woman seen in the video. The video woman has long dark hair, pulled back off her face in a high pony tail. Tori's mom's hair is long and dark and is always worn in a high pony tail.

Tori is 4'5" and mom is 5'9" - the video shows the woman to be at least a foot taller then Tori.

I work with a woman who's husband is a police officer. She has told me some info that I can't repeat. But let's just say that the police are also focused on the mom.


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## Karren (Apr 30, 2009)

The mom is always involved!!! Book um Dano!!


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## Darla (Apr 30, 2009)

Note : They just made it so the videos cannot be embedded. You can still watch them if you double click on the Youtube picture and it will open a new tab or window and play the video

Here is a special that was on Rogers Cable

Animated 3D recreation of video of the woman who may be involved


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## HairEgo (Apr 30, 2009)

I heard the Limo story earlier today....kind of a bizzare story no? Maybe the mother is holding the child ransom for cash...who the hell knows, this is a sick world we live in. I just hope that little girl is okay


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## Darla (Apr 30, 2009)

here is the press conference where she comments on teh sketch


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## Dragonfly (Apr 30, 2009)

Darla, the two videos in post #7 are not working.

Just for everyone's information, Tori was mentioned on America's Most Wanted on April 25. There is more information on her,

on America's Most Wanted website.


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## Darla (Apr 30, 2009)

Originally Posted by *Dragonfly* /img/forum/go_quote.gif Darla, the two videos in post #7 are not working.
Just for everyone's information, Tori was mentioned on America's Most Wanted on April 25. There is more information on her,

on America's Most Wanted website.

they must have just changed it so you couldn't embed it! i did it right away and it worked.


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## Adrienne (Apr 30, 2009)

I haven't heard of this until now. After reading all the information, the mother does appear to be in on it. I'm glad they're focusing on her.


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## Dragonfly (Apr 30, 2009)

Latest update:

Thu, April 30, 2009

Police offer a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the eight-year-old's abductor

By RANDY RICHMOND, LONDON FREE PRESS

WOODSTOCK -- The police officer who's the face and voice of a 22-day hunt for Victoria (Tori) Stafford said yesterday she firmly believes the missing eight-year-old girl is still alive.

Const. Laurie-Anne Maitland of Oxford Community police said some, but not all other officers, agree.

"In our line of work we have to be prepared for any possible outcome, but I believe she is alive and I know there are people who share that belief," Maitland said.

Maitland also said police have investigated the story of a mysterious offer to pay a ransom for the return of Tori and concluded "it does not cause us concern."

But Maitland chose her words carefully and refused to go as far as Tori's mother, Tara McDonald did in describing the police probe.

Earlier yesterday, McDonald said police confirmed to her the story was "legitimate."

"I know those were Tara's words," Maitland said. "Our words are that it does not cause us concern."

The officer also addressed suggestions the offer was part of a police sting operation, using the mysterious and wealthy stranger to elicit information from McDonald and her family.

Are you asking me if the people in the limo were police? Certainly not to my knowledge," Maitland said.

But Maitland has acknowledged she has been kept at arms length from many aspects of the investigation, being co-ordinated by OPP.

The mysterious limo ride and a just announced $50,000 police reward dominated the two news conferences, one from McDonald and one from police, that are becoming tradition as the hunt for Tori reached its third week.

Tori was last seen after school April 8 on a video camera from a nearby high school, walking away with a woman in black jeans and a white coat. A composite sketch of that same woman, based on a witness account, was released by police last week.

Late Tuesday night, police announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Tori's abductor.

The timing of the reward had nothing to do with the story about a potential benefactor and ransom, Maitland said yesterday.

Nor was it a sign police are getting desperate, she said.

McDonald said yesterday she did not think the mysterious offer was part of any police sting.

"No, no, I don't think they would go to such trouble."

McDonald provided more details about the offer, made by a person in a hotel room near Pearson International Airport she met after taking a limo ride to Toronto last Thursday.

The person, who refused to provide McDonald with even a name, supplied two telephone numbers.

If someone would like to return Tori, they can get those numbers from McDonald, she said. The answering machine message on the other end of the numbers says the caller can provide an account number, and a ransom request, and the money will be deposited once Tori is returned, McDonald said.

McDonald said she and her family have wracked their brains trying to determine a motive for the abduction.

"I don't really know what the reasoning would be, but they didn't think it would be so huge so quickly and maybe they just let it get out of hand," she said.

CHRONOLOGY OF A MISSING GIRL

April 8

Tori Stafford attends Oliver Stephens public school on Fyfe Avenue in Woodstock. School officials say she left when school let out at 3:25 p.m. -- not 3:40 p.m. as police have reported. Seven minutes later, in front of an adjacent secondary school, a security camera videotaped her walking north on Fyfe Avenue with a woman whose identity has become a focal point of the police investigation. Shortly after 6 p.m., Tori's mother and partner contact police and report her missing. Police begin their search.

April 9

Police issue a media release about Tori's disappearance, writing that while they haven't ruled out foul play, they had no reason to suspect it. Police announce and distribute the video of a young girl walking with the woman. Citizens in Woodstock take to the streets and fields to try to find Tori.That evening, police say they have confirmed it was Tori on the video. The Free Press later learns this was done with the help of at least two witnesses.

April 10

Police ask volunteers to confine their search to their own properties, saying evidence may be otherwise trampled and police resources drained. Media question why police haven't issued an Amber Alert . Police say it's because they have no evidence of an abduction.

April 11

Police sort through 200 tips, but still don't know what happened to Tori. Police dispel rumour Tori's clothes have been found. Tori's birth father, Rodney Stafford, issues a public plea for her return. Tori's family gives out purple ribbons to thank the community for their efforts.

April 13

Police call off the ground search for the girl, saying efforts by police and volunteers failed to turn up any clues and that "every indication we have tells us that Tori willingly walked away with the unidentified female (seen on the high school security video), so we are investigating a missing person's case." Police release an enhanced version of the security video, hoping the sharper image will help identify the woman.

April 14

More than 30 investigators are working on the case. Police don't release any new information as nervous parents drop off their children for the first full day of class at Oliver Stephens public school since the eight-year-old vanished.

April 15

Tori's mother, Tara McDonald, holds an impromptu news conference to dispel rumours a $20,000 drug debt led to the little girl's disappearance. She urged people to keep the focus on finding her daughter.

April 17

Police reclassify Tori's disappearance as an abduction, as OPP Det. Insp. Bill Renton takes over as case manager from Oxford Community Police. Late that night, police announce an "intensified" ground search for Tori will begin the next morning in Woodstock and could last up to seven days. Police also suggest they may be close to identifying the mysterious woman seen on a security video walking with Tori after school on April 8, the day she vanished.

April 18

Police go door-knocking in Tori's neighbourhood while an OPP team equipped with side-scan sonar scours a large pond in Southside Park in Woodstock, beginning the promised "intensified" ground search.

April 25

Tori's disappearance is aired on the Fox Network's crime-fighting program, America's Most Wanted, at 9 p.m.

April 28

Tori's mother tells the media of an incredible-sounding offer and limousine ride she took, journeying from Woodstock to Toronto to meet an anonymous donor willing to pay any ransom that might be asked for her daughter's safe return. Woodstock police announce a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whomever was responsible for Tori's abduction.

-- Compiled by Free Press staff


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## Orangeeyecrayon (Apr 30, 2009)

this is weird. i find it odd that the parents know more than the police, and the police officer who is in charge of the investigation is not being told everything.

something is deffinately amiss here


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## Dragonfly (May 20, 2009)

I have very sad news to share: a 28 year old man has been charged with Tori's murder. An 18 year old female was also involved in the abduction and death of the little girl, and has also been charged. Currently, the police are trying to locate the body of Tori - believed to be placed in a rural location near Guelph, Ontario.

This breaking news so very little has been released to the media so far...

Hopes that Victoria Stafford would be found safe and returned to her family were dashed Wednesday with a man charged with the Grade 3 student's murder and a woman charged with being an accessory.

Michael Thomas Rafferty, 28, and Terri-Lynne McClintic, 18, were arraigned on the charges and abduction charges in a Woodstock, Ont., court. Do***ents suggest the murder took place on or around April 8, the day the eight-year-old girl known as Tori went missing from outside her school.

The developments were clearly devastating to Tori's father Rodney Stafford, who said he was awaiting more details from police.

"I don't know where to go from here," said Stafford, who was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Tori that read "Daddy's Little Girl."

McClintic, a stocky brunette whose hair was tied in cornrows, also faces charges of helping Rafferty elude authorities.

Rafferty pulled his shirt over his head to cover his face as he was led into the courthouse. He cried during the proceeding, while McClintic was more stoic.

As Rafferty was led by police from the courthouse after his appearance, Tori's uncle Rob Stafford approached him and spat out an expletive.

The relationship between the two accused was unclear, but there are reports the pair is known to one or both of Tori's parents.

A search for the girl's remains was reportedly underway in a rural area of Guelph, about an hour east of Woodstock. A police helicopter was on standby in the region marked with farmers' fields, ponds and wooded areas.

Police were to hold a media briefing at 3 p.m. with more details.

Reached at a home in Woodstock, a woman who identified herself as McClintic's grandmother sobbed as she said she was estranged from the woman's mother Carol and her grandchildren.

"(Carol) was a stripper and she knew the wrong people and she wasn't treating Terri-Lynne right."

She said she felt "just horrible" about the arrests.

"It's breaking my heart."

From Day 1, volunteers lined up to join the search, plastering storefronts, street lamps and car windshields with flyers describing the petite blond girl with large blue eyes.

Early in the investigation, police released a video capturing the young girl in the company of a mystery woman around the time she disappeared.

That footage, of Tori walking away with a woman in a white puffy coat - seemingly without struggle - was followed by a police composite sketch of a female suspect.

On Easter Sunday, more than 1,000 people attended a candlelight vigil. One week after Tori went missing, others filled scores of purple balloons - her favourite colour - with helium and inserted information scrolls inside, releasing them into the sky at a popular park.

Tori's mother Tara McDonald began holding daily news conferences outside her home to keep the story in the media spotlight.

Source: Hopes that Tori Stafford would be found safe dashed with murder charge - Yahoo! Canada News


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## internetchick (May 20, 2009)

Oh no.


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## esha (May 20, 2009)

No way! That's horrible!! I remember hearing something this morning on the radio but I was half asleep. If they are still trying to locate the poor girl's body, I assume the guy must've turned himself in. Wow, this is disgusting.


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## Adrienne (May 20, 2009)

Oh no



!


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## Darla (May 20, 2009)

What a terrible thing to hear about. Carolyn, that is a real good summary you did. This is a very tragic event.


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## HairEgo (May 20, 2009)

Dragon, you must have copied most of that from cp24; i just read almost the exact same story. I dont understand how they know they she was murdered? I suppose it must mean that the accused turned themselves in?

So devistatingly sad



I was really hoping for the best


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## Darla (May 21, 2009)

Woodstock left reeling with anger, resignation TheStar.com - Ontario - Woodstock left reeling with anger, resignation 
Mayor says city safe, but residents fear it won't 'ever go back to normal'

May 21, 2009 
Nick Aveling
Staff Reporter
WOODSTOCK, Ont.â€“You can still find the posters everywhere. Taped to an abandoned restaurant, wilted and warped by six weeks of spring rain. Beaming at customers as they enter the local Dairy Queen. Plastered, it seems, to just about every flat surface in sight.
Missing 8-year-old. 4-foot-5 to 4-foot-6. 62 lbs. Blond hair. Blue eyes.
The ubiquitous black-and-white signs were once a symbol of hope, a collective promise within this city of 37,000 to keep the search for Victoria "Tori" Stafford alive.
Not anymore.
"I think there's a profound sense of loss. Our city is a safe city. We need to make sure we're vigilant with our kids, but I think this will not provide a lasting legacy to the people of Woodstock," said Mayor Michael Harding.
His electorate was not so hopeful as people reacted to Tori's slaying with two dominant emotions: anger and grim resignation.
"I have three young daughters, one the same age as Tori, and I couldn't imagine anything like this, especially so close to home," said Nicole Wasylyk, 24.
"I don't even let my kids play outside anymore, and that's scary because I've been in Woodstock my whole life. It's come to the worst."
Tim Osmond, meanwhile, was surprised to discover both suspects are from Woodstock.
"I don't think it will ever go back to normal after this," said the 47-year-old man. "Parents will always keep a closer eye on their children. Who can blame them?"


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## Darla (May 21, 2009)

* Man charged with murder of Tori Stafford *





Michael Thomas Rafferty, 28, in a photo from Facebook. The six-week effort to bring Tori Stafford home safely became a grim search for the eight-year-old's body Wednesday after Rafferty was charged with first-degree murder and a woman who lived just blocks away from the girl was charged as an accomplice.

Ontario police are searching rural land for the body of eight-year-old Tori Stafford, after two people were arraigned for murder and being an accessory to murder

WOODSTOCK, Ont. â€” Globe and Mail Update and Canadian Press, Wednesday, May. 20, 2009 10:08PM EDT

Police are searching for the body of eight-year-old Victoria â€œToriâ€ Stafford today after two people were arraigned this morning for her abduction and murder.

With â€œprofound sadness and regret,â€ Oxford Community Police Service Chief Ron Fraser announced on Wednesday afternoon the â€œexhaustiveâ€ investigation has ended in tragedy.

â€œThis is certainly not the end anyone was hoping for,â€ Chief Fraser said.

â€œThere are no consoling words to offer, or profound words of wisdom, that can make this news easy for anyone to accept or convey. We are left with hundreds of questions that hopefully one day will be answered in our courts of law.â€

Michael Thomas Rafferty, 28, of Woodstock, Ont., was arraigned in a Woodstock court on Wednesday morning, charged with abduction and first degree murder of the eight-year-old girl who went missing six weeks ago.

Terri-Lynne McClintic, 18, was charged with abduction and helping Mr. Rafferty escape the area, court do***ents show

The man and woman were arrested on Tuesday evening and appeared in the Woodstock Provincial Court the next morning. Police said they do not expect to make any further arrests in the case.

The two were remanded in custody and will next appear in court on May 28.

The relationship between the two accused was unclear.

Police said on Wednesday that Ms. McClintock â€œmay be familiar withâ€ Tori's mother Tara McDonald.

Court do***ents suggest the murder took place on, or around, the day Tori went missing from outside her school, April 8.

Chief Fraser and Detective Inspector Bill Renton said their focus now was on finding Tori's body.

â€œThe most important mission we have yet to accomplish is to reunite Victoria with her loved ones,â€ Chief Fraser said.

A canine unit is reportedly now being used in the search for Tori's remains in a rural area of Guelph, about an hour east of Woodstock.

On Wednesday morning, Tori's father told media he'd been made aware of the arrests the night before.

Rodney Stafford knew of the court appearance today, but said he couldn't face attending the arraignment.

â€œI don't know where to go from here,â€ said Mr. Stafford, who was wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Tori that read â€˜Daddy's Little Girl.'

He and Ms. McDonald have led a crusade to find their missing daughter since she disappeared on her way home from school, where she was in Grade 3.

Outside the courthouse on Wednesday, the accused man Mr. Rafferty pulled his shirt over his head to cover his face as he was led into the courthouse, and cried during the proceeding.

A group of onlookers yelled at him as he was later led from the courthouse to a waiting police vehicle.

Tori was last seen walking with a woman wearing a white puffy coat, an image captured on a surveillance camera located at an adjacent high school.

On Wednesday afternoon, Det. Insp. Renton declined to comment on the importance of the footage.

â€œIt is one piece of the evidence that has brought us to where we are,â€ he said. â€œAs the matter's before the court, I cannot speak to that evidence.â€

From the day of her disappearance, volunteers lined up to join the search, plastering storefronts, street lamps and car windshields with flyers describing the petit blond girl with large blue eyes.

On Easter Sunday, more than 1,000 people attended a candlelight vigil. One week after Tori went missing, others filled scores of purple balloons â€” her favourite colour â€” with helium and inserted information scrolls inside, releasing them into the sky at a popular park.

Her mother, Tara McDonald, began holding daily news conferences outside her home to keep the story in the media spotlight.

Chief Fraser defended the decision not to issue an amber alert on the day Tori went missing.

â€œRight from the beginning, the criteria of Tori's disappearance did not meet the criteria of the amber alert,â€ he said.

â€œHaving said that, we notified the local media as fast as we could. The amber alert would not have made a difference.â€


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## Adrienne (May 21, 2009)

Try telling the parents that the Amber Alert doesn't work. I hate it's criteria to begin with. If my child is missing then dammit my child is missing and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to alert everyone I possibly can. The first protocal is

Quote:
Law enforcement must confirm that an abduction has taken place I've seen too many new reports where the alert is issued too late and the children turn up missing/dead.


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